A Time of Healing
by Isildwen
Summary: A gap filler and prequel to Days in Lothlorien. Contains non-explicit, very fluffy m/m - don't read if you don't like.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: **I have never really left the LoTR fanfiction, but life has been busy. I found this when I went through some old files. I am not sure about this story, but decided to publish anyway. It is not canon – it's pure fantasy but in line with my other stories. It can probably be read as a standalone story but is better as a **prequel to Days in Lothlorien.**

**A Time of Healing**

**Chapter 1**

Legolas, son of king Thranduil, rode hard. He had been on the road from Lasgalen to Imladris for five days, and had another day's hard riding ahead of him. He had ridden with almost no breaks, had only stopped to allow his horse to rest and take food before carrying on. The message from his father for Elrond, Lord of Imladris, was urgent, and could not be trusted to anyone else.

Legolas concentrated on staying on his horse and keeping the horse on the path. The weather had been poor, even though it was spring. The path was treacherous – slippery with stones and rocks hidden in the mud, making even an elven horse liable to stumbles and fall. And at the moment, the young elf struggled with tiredness and pain. He was also extremely hungry, as he had not dared to stop as feared that he would not be able to remount his horse. So he carried on through the night, and arrived late in the afternoon of the next day in Rivendell.

* * *

><p>Elrond, Lord of Imladris, did not expect any guests and was surprised when his guards brought news that Prince Legolas was on his way. There were many reasons why he would not have expected this guest. However, Legolas was always very welcome. He went down to the yard to greet the young archer.<p>

He was shocked when he saw the young prince. Legolas was filthy, he had obviously travelled very hard, and his clothing and hair bore witness to having travelled through the rain and muddy paths for several days. He was also pale and thin with dark rings of exhaustion under his eyes.

"Mae govannen, Legolas", he said with a warm smile, wishing to ensure that Legolas knew that he was very welcome.

"Thank you, Lord Elrond. I have urgent news from my father, which no other could bring."

Legolas winced slightly when he tried to dismount from his horse. The moment he tried to put weight onto his right leg, it buckled and he stumbled. In seconds, Elrond was there, supporting him.

"What is it, Legolas? Are you injured?"

"It's only an old wound which still gives me trouble at times. It is of no consequence."

"Legolas, come to my study. Let me hear this message that is important enough for you to ride so hard that you almost drop with exhaustion. Then you can bath and eat, and I will have a look at this wound of yours."

"Is Estel here?"

Elrond's eyes clouded with pity. "I am sorry, Legolas. As you know, he has been living with the rangers the last few years, and I have seen very little of him. At the moment he and his brothers are all away on a mission with the rangers in the west. I do not expect them back for many months."

Legolas sighed with regret, or perhaps with relief. "I had hoped…"

"I know. I am very sorry, Legolas." For a brief moment the Elf-Lord embraced the young prince, many regrets unspoken, and yet acknowledged.

Elrond knew how difficult it would be for Legolas to be in Rivendell. The younger elf had spent much spent much time in Imladris. After Elrond had visited Legolas' home with his twin sons and his mortal foster son Estel, the young prince from Lasgalen and Estel had formed an unlikely friendship that had turned into a relationship. Both Elrond and Thranduil had grave misgivings about this relationship, but Elrond eventually warmed to the young prince and finally accepted him not only as a partner for Estel, but also as a friend to his other sons. In fact, once Elrond had accepted Legolas, the young elf often felt that he gained a wise and loving 'second' father.

And then, out of the blue, the unimaginable happened: Estel began a relationship with Arwen. The young elf found out when, searching for Estel to pass on a message from Elrond, he saw Estel and Arwen kissing in a hidden place. He left Imladris as quickly as he could, completely shocked. This had been three years ago. Elrond had not seen Legolas in the intervening time.

Elrond looked hard at Legolas. Even in the few moments they had spent together now, he was able to notice changes in the young archer. Legolas had changed physically, his face had matured and his shoulders had broadened somewhat, even though he was still very slender.

In other words, Elrond thought, Legolas had grown up, and too fast for an elf. The separation from Estel had affected the young elf deeply. There had been a time when Elrond was sure that Legolas would not survive a separation from Estel. He had, but at a price. Elrond wondered whether Thrandruil realised just how high the price was that Legolas had paid for his loyalty.

"You have changed, young one, haven't you? Your body and mind are weary. Perhaps you can find a bit of peace here before you return home."

Legolas did not respond to that comment, but slightly leaned on Elrond as they walked back. The older elf carefully matched his stride to the stumbling steps of his companion. Once they arrived in Elrond' study, Legolas had a good look around.

"Nothing has changed here."

Legolas hesitated. Rivendell held many memories for him, and he was not certain how well he would cope with an extended stay here. But perhaps he could stay for a few days to recover from this trip, and maybe Lord Elrond could do something about this leg wound, it really was bothersome at times.

"I accept your offer gladly. Here is the message from my father: He believes that one of the members of the White Council is a traitor and passes on information to Mordor. He does not yet know who it is, but there is definitely evidence that one of the council members has lost his way."

"This is very disturbing news, and I can understand why your father did not want to entrust this to any other than his son."

"I will inform Mithrandir and we must discuss what can be done. And this has to be done soon. Thank you, Legolas, for this message. It is now out of your hands. Enjoy a bit of peace here whilst you can. Go now, have a bath and I'll come and have a look at that leg of yours."

Unasked, the servants had already taken Legolas' pack to the room he had always stayed in when at Imladris. When he arrived there, he stopped a moment in the doorway, memories of the happy times with Estel spent here flooding his mind. Being back here in Imladris awakened many carefully buried memories. It would not be an easy stay.

With a sigh, Legolas went into the small washroom adjacent to his bedroom. Dropping his dirty and travel worn clothing, he got into the tub of hot water, which someone had thoughtfully run for him.

* * *

><p>A considerable amount of time later, Elrond made true his promise and knocked on Legolas' door to have a look at the leg wound. On getting no response, he pushed the unlocked door open, only to find the room empty, but the door to the washroom slightly ajar.<p>

"Legolas?"

No response.

Elrond opened the bathroom door wider, most elves were not particularly bothered about seeing unclothed by others, so he felt no reason not to. What he saw, made him smile. Legolas looked much cleaner, he had obviously finished washing and then relaxed in the warm water – and had fallen fast asleep. Elrond noticed again that the young archer was very thin, even for a naturally slender elf. Elrond gently touched the younger elf's shoulder. "Legolas, wake up, this water has gone cold."

Legolas' eyes focused slowly as he woke up. "Lord Elrond, I am sorry, it was a hard ride and I am weary."

"You don't need to be formal, we have known each other for too long for this. Come, get out of this cold water."

Elrond held out a towel and Legolas climbed out of the tub, wincing as he put weight onto his injured leg. Once dried, he quickly brushed his hair, put on a light robe and sat on the bed.

"Let me have a look at this leg."

Obediently, Legolas held out his leg. Elrond carefully regarded the wound. It was up on the inside of the leg, and did not look nice. Elrond knew that it must have caused a considerable amount of pain. It had healed, but had left a ragged swollen scar, which was very unusual for an elf. Normally elves held without scaring. This wound must have been poisoned to have healed this badly. The hard ride had rubbed the scar tissue and the surrounding area red and raw, and Elrond suspected that the wound may not have properly healed on the inside, even though Legolas had sustained it some time ago. He laid his hand gently on the wound, closed his eyes and concentrated on finding out what was going underneath the surface. The younger elf winced at the touch.

"I am fairly convinced that the reason why this has healed so badly is that there is a fragment of the weapon still in the wound. It will need to be reopened, cleaned out thoroughly, any infection treated and stitched before it can properly heal. I could do this for you, but it would mean for you to stay here for a while. You would not be able to ride for several weeks. And it will not be comfortable. But then, you must be and have been in considerable discomfort since you got this wound."

"I cannot stay here for too long. My father expects me back home."

"We can let your father know by sending a messenger hawk. You are welcome to stay here as long as needed, I would enjoy your company with my sons being away."

"I would very much like to stay. But I do not think that my father would approve, and I have already caused him so much anguish and heartache. It is better for me to return home."

"Better for you or better for your father? Legolas, this legs needs to be seen to, it is a nasty wound, and it could affect your ability to walk and ride in the long term. I am sure that this is something that neither you nor your father want to risk."

Legolas sighed. He had, in fact, been worried just about these possible consequences, but the healers seemed to have done everything that was possible, so there seemed to be little point in bringing up the topic again with his father or the healers. Elrond's healing skills were legendary, this might be a last chance to regain the full use of his leg. And yet, there were so many memories here…

Elrond looked at the barely concealed emotions flickering over the younger elf's face, and felt great compassion with him. Finally Legolas came to a decision.

"I would be grateful if you could heal my leg. It has been bothering me and hinders my ability to defend others and myself in battle. I cannot rely on this leg as it gives out in unexpected moments." Legolas looked up and held Elrond's gaze, not caring that the elder elf was able to read his conflicting emotions.

Elrond smiled and said: "I am glad you have come to this decision. For tonight, let's get some food and you need rest. Tomorrow we will see to your leg. And perhaps we will also manage to fatten you up a bit. This leg wound has taken its toll, hasn't it? You have lost much weight, Legolas, you are far too thin. I suspect that your body has been fighting this wound since you received it, and thus many of your reserves have been used up, especially since you are still battling with grief."

Legolas was both shocked and relieved by this open reference to his separation from Estel. He nodded slightly, as unpleasant as Elrond's words were, they were also true and there was not much point in denying the obvious.

"You need time to heal, young one, and perhaps this is something I can give you." The elf-lord got up and laid a hand lightly on the younger elf's shoulder. "And I do not only mean your leg…"

* * *

><p>The following weeks were indeed a time of healing for Legolas. He had always liked the peacefulness of Rivendell, and without Estel and the twins he had much time on his hands. Elrond saw to his leg on the morning after his arrival. He found and removed indeed a deeply buried splinter, probably the tip of the knife that had been used to inflict the wound. When tested for poison, it still revealed traces of a rare and potent agent, which explained why it had not been correctly recognised and treated by the healers in Mirkwood.<p>

For the next week, Legolas was not permitted to put much weight on his leg, and spent much time with Elrond in his study, sitting on the wide windowsill in the sun, his legs propped up in front of him. Legolas was usually a poor patient, but at this point in time he was mentally and physically exhausted, and therefore ready to accept the rest offered. On Elrond's orders, he was also eating considerably more than he had in a long time, and slowly regained some of the weight he lost over the last years.

Elrond and Legolas spent much time talking. There was much to catch up on. The threat of Sauron's forces had steadily increased, and both Legolas and Elrond used the time to exchange important information. But they also talked about themselves, family and friends. At first, both carefully avoided the topic of Estel, although it was evident to Elrond that Legolas' pain was as raw now as it was when the couple separated. One evening they both sat with books in the common room when Legolas looked up.

"There are so many memories for me here," he simply said.

"I know." Elrond's grey eyes locked with the younger elf's dark blue ones. "You still miss him, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, but at the same time I am not at all certain that I want to see him again. I still do not understand … why did he do that to me? What did I do wrong? Did he no longer find me attractive?" The pain in the young elf's voice was palpable.

"Legolas, I do not believe you did anything wrong. You were both very young when you got involved, and perhaps Estel was simply not mature enough to appreciate what you offered him."

"Is it because Arwen is female? She is beautiful, I can see that. But I really thought that Estel loved me, after all that we went through together."

"I cannot second-guess Estel's reasons, I am not even certain that he knows himself. A few weeks after you left, Arwen returned to Lothlorien. By that time he was well aware of what he had done to you. He decided to take up a life as a ranger. I think it was because he could not live with the memories of the happy times you two had together here. He needed to get away. I have not seen much of him in the last three years."

Changing the topic slightly, Elrond continued, "Legolas, Estel has changed greatly since you have seen him last. Three years is a long time for a young human, especially if this is his transition from youth to adulthood. Estel has embraced his human heritage much more, and bar here at home, he will not use his elvish name any longer. Among the rangers he is known as Strider, and a few select friends use his real name, Aragorn."

**TBC - Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

So Legolas stayed in Rivendell. Elrond treated Legolas much like he would have one of his own sons, assigning him a range of duties fitting his station and abilities. Legolas had stayed for extended periods before in Rivendell, and settled quickly back into a routine that he and others were already used to.

After the first two weeks he was permitted to go out on patrol and shorter hunts, although he was under strict orders not to strain his healing leg. And healed it had, this time only a small fading scar had remained that would soon disappear, just as it should in an elf.

Spring turned into summer, and Elrond asked Legolas whether he wanted to stay longer, if his father permitted it. Legolas agreed gladly, he truly enjoyed the peacefulness in Imladris. Elrond wrote a long letter to Thranduil, explaining Legolas' extended stay in Rivendell and also asking for the young prince being able to stay longer. Somewhat to his surprise, Thranduil agreed, with a response that arrived almost as fast as bird could make the return journey. Elrond wondered whether this was a sign of how concerned Thranduil had been about his son..

In the evenings, when he did not have any duties, Legolas would spend much of his spare time with Elrond. Elrond yet again realised how much he missed having at least one or two of his own sons around, his family's rooms appeared to be empty without the young elves and human. So he welcomed Legolas' presence, even if at times both of them just kept each other company whilst reading. And they played chess, often late into the night. Many years ago, Elrond had discovered to his delight that Legolas was a strong chess player, one of the few people whom he had met who could truly play against him. So the two elves spent many happy hours over the chess board.

They also talked a lot, and Legolas told Elrond much about his dreams, ambitions and fears. One day the younger elf said at the end of a lengthy game of chess:

"I wish I was not a prince. I would much prefer to be a warrior without the added burden of nobility. It always feels as if everyone expects me to be better, or more perfect, than everyone else. This is one of the things I liked so much about Estel, he never seemed to have this expectation. I could just be myself with him."

Elrond looked at the young prince. "We do not choose our fate. You have been born into a noble house and nothing you do will change this. You cannot alter who you are, but you can ensure that you are judged by your own faults and merits."

"You are doing this already. I have heard the warriors talk about you, they know you are a prince, but they praise you for leading them well, and that has nothing to do with your birth rank"

Legolas smiled at the compliment, and Elrond yet again was struck by how fair the young prince looked. He was truly beautiful. Yet again Elrond failed to understand why Estel had ended their relationship.

Elrond's own marriage had been arranged, a token of goodwill between different elven realms. Even though he and his wife Celebrian had not been unhappy, they also had not been passionate. When their twin sons and their daughter had grown, Celebrian decided to take the journey to the Undying Lands. She had never truly recovered from the torture by orcs which she had suffered, and her love for Elrond was not deep enough for her to want to stay. This had left Elrond with a longing to see his children with partners they truly loved. He had never anticipated and did not approve of a relationship between Arwen and Estel, the reasons for this disapproval were manifold.

Not one of the least was the fact that he thought in the long term his daughter and adopted son were temperamentally not suited very well. They were both strong willed and impulsive – bound to clash rather than compliment in the long term. In contrast, after his initial misgivings, Elrond had considered the young prince as an almost perfect partner for Estel. They were both young and each was a prince in their own right, there seemed to share a physical attraction which Elrond considered essential after his own experiences without this element, and whereas Estel's impulsiveness and spontaneity was balanced by Legolas more reserved nature, the young elf was drawn out of his shell by the young human. The only true limitation in their relationship in Elrond's view was that they could not give each other heirs – but Legolas had an immortal father and there was no sign that Estel would be in a position to take up his kingship in the foreseeable future.

While all of these thoughts went through his mind, Elrond had continued to look at Legolas. The young archer endured the gaze but asked: "What is it?"

With a sigh, Elrond shrugged. "Nothing. Come, let us get ready for bed, it is late."

Legolas accepted this response with a small sigh, after having spent so much time with Elrond, he could guess which direction the older elf's thoughts had taken.

* * *

><p>So the weeks and months passed by. Midwinter came and went, the first signs of spring returned. When the message came that the mountain passes were open again, Legolas decided it was time to go home.<p>

Elrond and Legolas were spending a quiet evening before the final leaving celebration for Legolas on the next day. Elrond had asked Legolas for one last game of chess before his departure and the young elf had gladly agreed. They were half way through the game, when Legolas looked up.

"Elrond, there is something I had wanted to ask you for a long time …. Please tell me if I overstep the boundaries, but … when Celebrian went west, why did you not go west over the sea with her?"

Surprised by this question, Elrond did not respond for a while. Finally, he got up and walked to the window, turning his back to the younger elf. He sighed deeply.

"I considered it, of course. I … we…" he hesitated, "our marriage was not a love match, and yet I was very fond of Celebrian. What the orcs did to her, I could not heal. Our ties were not strong enough to keep her here, she chose to leave. But at the time the Arwen and the twins were still very young, they were not ready to go west, there was too much which they had not yet seen and experienced, and I did not want to leave them behind. Also, I have duties here in Imladris which no other can do."

"Has there never been someone else who could have become your companion?"

The elf-lord turned at this question, and it was in this moment that Legolas saw the pain which lingered in Elrond's eyes.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to pry … it just slipped out…"

Elrond turned back to the window. "Yes, there was …"

The elf-lord sighed deeply and looked across the garden. "You know how Estel came to live with us. His father was killed and his mother Gilraen and Estel came to live with us here in Rivendell. I … came to care much for Gilraen. Even though she was mortal, there was much that I wanted to give her. But she never even knew. She never recovered from the death of her husband, and faded over several years. Very few people know how much I cared for her, and I want to keep it this way."

Legolas simply looked at Elrond and nodded. More was not needed.

"Arwen guessed, in fact she made more of it than there ever was, and accused me of being disloyal to her mother, even though Celebrian had left to Valinor a very long time ago. I do not believe that she would have begrudged me companionship or even love, but Arwen could not accept this. She left to live in Lothlorien."

"So I lost both a love that was never returned and my daughter." There was so much pain and regret in Elrond's voice that Legolas instinctively came up behind him and laid his hands on Elrond's shoulders. The older elf turned at the touch. A mixture of regret and pain clouded his normally clear grey eyes.

"I wish I had never asked … I did not want to cause you such pain."

Elrond smiled a sad little smile. "It is not you that caused the pain …"

Legolas tightened his hands on Elrond's shoulders. Their eyes locked for a long moment.

"We should finish this chess game and go to bed." But the elf-lord made no move towards the game.

Legolas moved and closed the gap between them. He took Elrond's hands. There was a question in his dark eyes, and for a long moment the two elves simply looked at each other.

"Elrond?"

Elrond sighed. This, he had not foreseen. Unless he misread Legolas entirely, there was an offer here that came entirely unexpected, that he had not even thought about.

At this moment the elf-lord realised that Legolas had read him well. He needed this physically although his mind told him that Legolas was younger than his own children and that it was all wrong. But his heart told him that it would be so nice not to be alone for the night, even if it was only just this once. His body and heart won.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. "I do not wish to take advantage of you."

Legolas looked him, and gently touched the face of the older elf. "I would not offer if I did not mean it."

* * *

><p>The two elves did not sleep that night. For both, it was a time of exploration – Legolas had only ever been intimate with one person, and this person had been human, so he had no experience with an elven partner. Elrond had, for his entire adult life, preferred females, and his experiences with a male partner were limited to a few experiments in his youth a very long time ago. But neither had been intimate with a partner for a long time, and initial desire turned quickly into passion. It was only in the early hours of the morning that they rested.<p>

Legolas was laying on his side, looking at Elrond. The older elf gently pushed some of Legolas' light tangled hair away from his face.

"You have given me great pleasure, Legolas."

"I am glad you enjoyed." Legolas looked at the older elf seriously. "Somehow I feared that perhaps I would not be good enough …. after what happened."

Elrond understood immediately. "Oh Legolas, how can you say this – did you not notice how much I enjoyed our time together?" He paused. "Don't say something like this again, or even think it."

They lay quietly for a while. After some time, Legolas moved close to Elrond and buried his head in the older elf's shoulder. It felt good, comfortable and safe. Elrond gently stroked his companion's back. After a while he spoke quietly.

"You know that we cannot do this again, don't you, Legolas?"

The younger elf sighed and nodded into Elrond's shoulder. "Yes, I know. You have given me great pleasure as well tonight but in the long term … Estel would always be between us. And Elladan and Elrohir."

"You are right, Legolas. Perhaps we should not have … you are my children's friend…"

Elrond's voice had lost its usual certainty. It was just light enough to see the insecurity in the grey eyes of the elf-lord.

"I am also an adult, Elrond, and can make my own decisions. And this is one I don't regret." Legolas smiled at Elrond.

"Legolas, I hope for you that you find someone who loves you and whom you can love. Don't close your heart – you are too young and beautiful to stay alone." Elrond ran his hands over Legolas' chest. "Although you are still too thin." He smiled to take any sting out of his words.

"Come now, it is time to get up. You have to do your packing and I have a farewell celebration to prepare."

* * *

><p>Legolas had secretly feared that his last day in Imladris would be marred by awkwardness between him and Elrond, but to his relief, Elrond was his usual collected self, so Legolas did not find it difficult to be himself, either. He decided that his and Elrond's friendship had simply gained an extra dimension of depth, they now knew each other at a level few friends do.<p>

The day was busy, with many farewells and a big meal in the evening, followed by dance and merriment. Although all of this was in his honour, Legolas did not stay up through the night, he had a hard ride ahead of him.

The next day it was time to take leave. After having said all his other farewells, Legolas turned to Elrond, who held the halter of his horse. The elven prince swung up with one graceful fluid motion, and no one but Elrond noticed the slight wince as he settled himself on the horse's back. Elrond thought with a small smile, 'I am not the only one who is out of practice being intimate.'

The elven prince turned backwards and rummaged in the bag that was slung across the horse's back.

"Please open them only after I have gone", he said. He handed Elrond two well wrapped presents. Then he bent forward and clasped Elrond's arms in a traditional farewell.

"It is time for me to leave. Fare well, Elrond."

"Be save, Legolas, and remember what I said. One day you will be happy again."

* * *

><p>It was only when Legolas was well out of sight that Elrond turned and had a closer look at the presents that Legolas had given him. One was a small, flat, rectangular package wrapped in cloth, the other one was much bigger and heavier.<p>

Once returned to his study, Elrond opened the smaller package first. A small note fell out, written in Legolas' slanted, regular script. It simply said:

_A small token to remember me by_. _Thank you for everything._ _Legolas._

The present itself was a small portrait of Legolas himself, surprisingly well executed. Legolas had managed to reflect his own personality and features well. 'He must have used a mirror for this' thought Elrond with slight amusement. The small drawing had been inserted into a finely carved wooden frame.

Elrond then proceeded to unwrap the larger package. It turned out to be a chessboard and chess pieces, carved by Legolas. The young elf had evidently given this much thought. Each category of figures represented one of the races that Legolas had encountered in Rivendell. All were represented in much detail. The woodwork was exquisite. It must have taken many hours to complete this set. Elrond wondered when Legolas had found the time to work on this in secret.

He was deeply touched by these presents, and looked long at the small self-portrait that Legolas had given him. Eventually, he sat the little drawing on a shelf in his study, easily visible. He hoped that he would see Legolas in Imladris again, and that the younger elf would find happiness again.

The End.

**I hope you enjoyed. Please review.**


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